Toy gun with illuminated firing action

ABSTRACT

A toy gun includes an array of light emitters, electronic circuitry controlling each light emitter of the array, and a light transmissive cover illuminated internally by the light emitters of the array. When controlled electronically to produce light chasing effects, the light emitters illuminate the external surface of the cover in a smooth-motion continuous manner. To achieve this, each emitter of the array is positioned so as to disperse light upon a respective target area of the cover, and adjacent light emitters of the array are so spaced from one another that adjacent respective target areas overlap or are at least contiguous.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to toy guns. The invention more particularly, although not exclusively relates to toy guns having a diffused light chaser action when triggered.

Toy guns are known in which LEDs for example are illuminated upon triggering. An example of such a toy gun 10 is shown in FIGS. 1A to 1E and comprises an array of LEDs 13 exposed to the toy gun exterior along the gun barrel 12 and providing discrete point sources of light. These LEDs are controlled electronically as “light chasers” to illuminate in sequence to mimic the effect of movement. Moreover, prior to firing as shown in FIG. 1A, no LEDs are illuminated, but when the trigger 11 is depressed, a first LED 13 (FIG. 1B) is activated and subsequent LEDs 13 (FIGS. 1B through 1E) are activated. The movement-mimicking effect can be less than convincing however, as each LED is a point source of light and the movement effect is visually “jumpy”.

A lighting effect in a toy gun produces a visual effect of movement that is more convincing or at least more interesting than the chasing effect provided by an array of discreet point light sources alone.

SUMMARY

There is disclosed herein a toy gun, comprising:

-   -   an array of light emitters;     -   electronic circuitry controlling each light emitter of the         array; and     -   a light transmissive cover illuminated internally by the light         emitters of the array, wherein each emitter of the array is         positioned so as to disperse light upon a respective target area         of the cover, and wherein adjacent light emitters of the array         are so spaced from one another that adjacent said respective         target areas overlap or are at least contiguous.

Preferably, the array is a one-dimensional array and wherein the cover forms part of a gun barrel of the toy gun.

Preferably, the light emitters of the array are mounted linearly upon a circuit board strip extending along at least a portion of the gun barrel.

Preferably, the cover is substantially cylindrical and the circuit board strip extends in a transverse sense substantially tangentially thereof, the cover having an outer dimension D, and wherein adjacent light emitters are spaced apart by a distance Y, wherein Y is greater than about 0.3D and less than about 1.5D.

Preferably, the cover comprises a substantially rigid outer layer, and a diffuser sheet located between the light emitters and the outer layer.

Preferably, the outer layer is substantially clear.

The toy gun can further comprise a coloured sheet situated between the diffuser sheet and the outer layer.

The diffuser sheet can be coloured and/or translucent.

Typically, the cover is substantially rigid and light-diffusive.

The cover can be coloured.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A to 1E are schematic elevations of a prior art toy gun;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration showing the external appearance of a toy gun incorporating an internally illuminated gun barrel;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration showing the external appearance of another toy gun incorporating an internally illuminated gun barrel or number of gun barrel segments;

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional elevation of an internally illuminated gun barrel or barrel segment made in accordance with a first embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional elevation of an internally illuminated gun barrel or barrel segment made in accordance with a second embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional elevation of an internally illuminated gun barrel or barrel segment made in accordance with a third embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective illustration of the gun barrel/segment of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective illustration of an array of LEDs mounted upon a circuit board strip which is also shown in FIGS. 4 to 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 2 there is depicted schematically a toy gun 10 a that incorporates a trigger 11 which is connected electrically with internal circuitry to control an array of LEDs which are located therein to internally illuminate a gun barrel 12.

In FIG. 3 another toy gun 10 b is depicted in which a series of gun barrel segments 12 a, 12 b, 12 c and 12 d are incorporated. The segments might be discrete segments or visually exposed segments of single long gun barrel.

A linear array of LEDs 13 is mounted upon a PCB strip 14 as best illustrated in FIG. 8. The PCB strip would typically include tracks to which the LEDs are soldered The LEDs are controlled by circuitry (not shown) to illuminate in sequence upon activation of trigger 11. The control circuitry might be incorporated upon the PCB strip or elsewhere in the toy gun.

The LEDs are typically wide dispersion types and may be selected to emit any of the available wavelengths of light including white or near-white light.

FIG. 4 depicts a first gun barrel/segment 12 incorporating the PCB strip 14 including the array of LEDs 13. The gun barrel/segment 12 comprises an outer tube 15 which is typically made of rigid light-transmissive plastics material and this would typically be clear or nearly-clear. Located internally of the outer tube 15 is a thin tubular sheet of plastics material 16. In this embodiment, the plastics sheet 16 is coloured (including white). This may be a “clear” colouring (like cellophane) or more generally a translucent colouring to visually obscure the array of LEDs 13 from the barrel exterior, yet defuse light emitted by the LEDs 13 therethrough.

FIG. 5 depicts an alternative embodiment in which a solitary tube 15 is provided. In this embodiment, the tube 15 is of rigid plastics material and is coloured—again a “clear” colouring or a translucent/light diffusive colouring.

FIG. 6 depicts yet a further embodiment in which the outer rigid tube 15 is substantially clear. Internally of the outer tube 15 is a coloured tubular sheet 16. In this embodiment, the plastics sheet 16 is “clear” coloured like cellophane. Internally of the tubular sheet 16 is a translucent light-diffusive sheet 17 which would typically be coloured white. Other colours are of course possible.

In each embodiment, the PCB strip 14 is located in the bottom of the barrel somewhat like a road surface of a tunnel (with the outer tube 15 considered somewhat like the tunnel wall/roof) with the LEDs facing upwardly to disperse light over a broad internal surface of the barrel. This illuminates a wide area of the barrel exterior.

With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, it can be seen that the barrel exterior has a diameter D. The individual LEDs 13 are spaced from one another along the strip 14 by a distance Y. The relationship between D and Y is selected such that the area of light visible at the barrel exterior as emitted by one LED and the area of light visible at the barrel exterior as emitted by an adjacent LED overlap slightly or are at least contiguous. Experiments have determined that D and Y should preferably meet the criterion: 0.3D≦Y≦1.5D in order to achieve this.

Internal circuitry of the toy gun is designed to produce a light-chasing effect or similar effect upon activation of trigger 11. The external surface of the gun barrel will display an illuminated smooth/continuous movement of light therealong as the LEDs are so controlled. Indeed the LEDs might be controlled to illuminate in a fade-in/fade-out manner to further emphasis a smooth transition from one illuminated area to the next.

It should be appreciated that modifications and alterations obvious to those skilled in the art are not to be considered as beyond the scope of the present invention. For example, light globes could be used as alternatives to LEDs and other light emitting devices such as electroluminescent devices might be employed. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 6, the translucent inner sheet 17 and PCB strip/LEDs could be replaced by an array of EL panel segments positioned internally along the barrel. Furthermore, when white coloured diffusive sheets or a white coloured diffusive outer tube is provided, colour effects could be produced by using coloured LEDs rather than providing equivalent coloured plastics sheets or an equivalent coloured outer tube. 

1. A toy gun, comprising: an array of light emitters; electronic circuitry controlling each light emitter of the array; and a light transmissive cover illuminated internally by the light emitters of the array, wherein each emitter of the array is positioned so as to disperse light upon a respective target area of the cover, and wherein adjacent light emitters of the array are so spaced from one another that adjacent said respective target areas overlap or are at least contiguous.
 2. The toy gun of claim 1, wherein the array is a one-dimensional array and wherein the cover forms part of a gun barrel of the toy gun.
 3. The toy gun of claim 2, wherein the light emitters of the array are mounted linearly upon a circuit board strip extending along at least a portion of the gun barrel.
 4. The toy gun of claim 3, wherein the cover is substantially cylindrical and the circuit board strip extends in a transverse sense substantially tangentially thereof, the cover having an outer dimension D, and wherein adjacent light emitters are spaced apart by a distance Y, wherein Y is greater than about 0.3D and less than about 1.5D.
 5. The toy gun of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a substantially rigid outer layer, and a diffuser sheet located between the light emitters and the outer layer.
 6. The toy gun of claim 5, wherein the outer layer is substantially clear.
 7. The toy gun of claim 6, further comprising a coloured sheet situated between the diffuser sheet and the outer layer.
 8. The toy gun of claim 5, wherein the diffuser sheet is coloured and/or translucent.
 9. The toy gun of claim 1, wherein the cover is substantially rigid and light-diffusive.
 10. The toy gun of claim 9, wherein the cover is coloured. 